Track transportation system

Abstract

The essential feature of the present invention is the provision of a track transportation system in which a vehicle runs on a predetermined track, being automatically steered, having a simplified and lightweight structure so as to surely ensure a safety, and to be capable of carrying out efficient and high-speed operation. The track transportation system according to the present invention incorporates a steering mechanism for automatic steering by means of an M actuator, a protection guide rail laid on the track, protection guide wheels which travel together with the vehicle along the protection guide rail without making contact with the latter, and a control means for controlling automatic steering in accordance with a result of determination by a track data determining means for determining a straight portion, a curved portion, a turnout portion or the like of the track in view of vehicle position data, and steering caused by the protection wheels making contact with the protection guide rail.

1. A track transportation system in which a vehicle runs on a predetermined track, comprising:
 a steering mechanism for automatically steering front and rear wheels of the vehicle by actuators in a steering direction; 
 a protection guide rail with respect to a road surface of the track, 
 protection guide wheels travelling along the protection guide rail without making contact with the protection guide rail, and provided at least one set in each of front and rear parts of the vehicle underneath the vehicle; 
 a link mechanism linked to the steering mechanism so as to turn the protection guide wheels into the steering direction of the front or rear wheels during running of the vehicle; and 
 a control unit including
 a track data determining device determining a track data in view of a vehicle position data; and 
 a normal running device delivering an automatic steering instruction to the steering mechanism in response to the track data determined by the track data determining device; and 
 
 a protection arm extending longitudinally of the vehicle and pivotally supported at a rotating center of the protection arm to the lower part of an axle of the front or rear wheels, 
 wherein 
 the protection arm has both front and rear end parts at which the protection guide wheels are provided, 
 the steering mechanism includes left and right tie rods linking the protection arm respectively to the left and right wheels, and the actuator for turning the protection arm, 
 the rotating center of the protection arm is located at a middle of a center axial line of the left and right wheels, and 
 a vertical distance from the center axial line to a coupling point of the left and right side tie rods coupling the protection arm is greater that a vertical distance from the center axial line to coupling points of the tie rods coupling the wheel side. 
 
     
     
       2. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the automatic steering mechanism is controlled by the normal running device in accordance with a predetermined steering pattern when the track data determining unit determines the straight portion or the curved portion. 
     
     
       3. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein
 the control unit further includes a fail-safe device for turning off the automatic steering instruction to the steering mechanism, and 
 the control unit is configured to interrupt the control for the automatic steering when the steering mechanism is abnormal during the control for the automatic steering by the fail-safe device, and steer the vehicle with the protection guide wheels in such a way that the protection guide wheels make contact with the protection guide rail. 
 
     
     
       4. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle position correcting device which is configured to interrupt the steering by the steering mechanism when the track data determining device determines the track data, and to force the protection guide wheels to be positioned on a travel path defined by the protection guide rail so as to correct the position of the vehicle. 
     
     
       5. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is incorporated in a rotary support bearing portion of the protection arm. 
     
     
       6. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the protection guide rail is a U-shape steel bar, 
 the protection guide wheels are arranged in the U-shape steel bars without making contact with side walls of the protection guide rail, and 
 the protection wheels are arranged respectively at both front and rear ends parts of the protection arm, two for each end part, on the left and right sides of the protection arm, as viewed in a plane view. 
 
     
     
       7. A track transportation system as set forth in  claim 1 ,
 wherein 
 the protection guide wheels include a pair of guide wheels that are respectively attached to both front and rear end parts of the protection arm, and movable along the protection guide rail without making contact with the protection guide rail, and 
 the protection guide rail is arranged on the road surface.